Lohan rejects plea bargain over jewelry theft

LOS ANGELES - Troubled US actress Lindsay Lohan has rejected a plea deal over the alleged theft of a $2,500 (S$3,160) necklace, prosecutors said Wednesday, paving the way for her possible trial.

A judge had set a deadline of Wednesday for the 24-year-old to decide on the plea bargain offer, which would have involved her going to jail, or take her chances in convincing a jury of her innocence on a grand theft felony charge.

Prosecutors said Lohan's lawyers had notified them that she does not plan to take the deal, which would have required her to go to jail for no more than 90 days in return for a guilty plea, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Lohan will now go before another judge on April 22 for a preliminary hearing to decide if there is enough evidence for a full trial.

Lohan, who completed a court-ordered spell in rehab for drug addiction in January, allegedly walked out of a jewellery store in Venice Beach - the seafront area of Los Angeles where she lives - with the gold necklace on January 22.

The actress, who is on probation for a 2007 drunk driving offense, could face up to three years in jail if convicted on the grand theft charge. She pleaded not guilty in a first appearance on February 9. A queen of Hollywood nights and a favorite target of the paparazzi, former Disney child star Lohan was once considered one of the most promising actresses of her generation.

But Lohan's career has dipped many times since 2005 amid legal woes, visits to rehab and movie flops.